The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for manufacturing pop-up booklets and more particularly to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a plurality of booklets, each containing an integral pop-up, in a continuous in-line process.
A pop-up booklet is a booklet which, in a closed or folded condition, has all of its pages and parts thereof lying in parallel planes but when opened or unfolded, it has a part, called a "pop-up", which springs up and extends transversely to the planes of the pages. The pop-up usually has a shape which, when combined with graphics and copy printed thereon and on the booklet pages surrounding the pop-up, presents an image of a familiar character or object, such as a clown or a house or the like.
Pop-ups may be integral or non-integral. A non-integral pop-up is one which is formed separately from the booklet and then is pasted therein. An integral pop-up is one which is formed integrally from the pages of the booklet.
Conventionally, booklets containing integral pop-ups have been produced in two separate, discrete steps on two separate pieces of apparatus. Typically, a first step involved die-cutting the outline of the pop-up on a booklet blank following which, the booklet blank, containing the die-cut pop-up outline, was folded into its closed condition on folding apparatus separate and discrete from the apparatus on which the die-cutting operation was performed.
The production of pop-up booklets in the manner described in the preceding paragraph was relatively slow, cumbersome, and inefficient and resulted in a relatively high cost for the pop-up booklet.
Pop-up booklets are useful for the advertising or promoting of goods or services. Such booklets are particularly desirable for this purpose because they are very successful in attracting the attention of a prospective purchaser of such goods or services when the booklet is opened, due to the pop-up action effected thereby. However, the relatively high cost required to produce pop-up booklets, when employing conventional manufacturing methods and apparatus, diminishes the frequency with which advertisers might employ pop-up booklets.